by Nell Speed
CHAPTER III.--WEDDING PREPARATIONS AND CONFIDENCES.
The next two weeks were busy ones for all the Brown household: first andforemost, the ever-crying need of clothes to be answered; second, theold house to be put in apple-pie order; all the furniture rubbed andrubbed some more; the beautiful old floors waxed and polished until theyshone and reflected the newly scrubbed white paint in a way Judy thoughtmost romantic. (But Judy thought everything was romantic those days.)She was "itching to help," and help she did in many ways. Molly wouldnot let her rub furniture or wax floors, but she had the pleasure ofhanging the freshly laundered curtains all over the house, and she wasreceived with joy in the sewing room by Miss Lizzie Monday, theneighborhood seamstress. Miss Lizzie was of the opinion that the Brownsthought entirely too much about food and not nearly enough aboutclothes. Indeed it was a failing of the mother, if failing she had, tohave good food, no matter at what cost, and then, since strict economyhad to be practiced somewhere, to practice it on the clothes.
Miss Lizzie had once been present when they were packing a box to sendto Molly at Wellington, and had sadly remarked: "In these hard times,with the price of food what it is, poor little raggedy Molly could havehad an entire new outfit from the contents of that box." Mrs. Brown hadindignantly denied that she was spending any money at all on the box,but the fact remained in Miss Lizzie's mind that the food in thedelightful box, so eagerly looked for by the hungry college girls,represented so much money that had much better be put on Molly's outsidethan her inside.
"Not that much of it goes on her own inside. I know Molly too well,bless her heart. Can't I just see her handing out that good old ham andhickory-nut cake and Rosemary pickle to those Yankees? And they, raisedon pale, pink, ready-cooked ham and doughnuts and corner grocery dillpickles, don't know what they are getting. Molly, in her same old bluethat I have made over twice for her!--and that ham would have bought thestuff for a new one (not that I would have had it anything but blue).The half gallon of Rosemary pickle would have trimmed it nicely, and thehickory-nut cake would have made her at least two new shirtwaists, andthe express on the box would more than pay me for making the things."
Judy loved to hear Miss Lizzie talk, and used to encourage her to praiseher friend, while she sat helping to whip lace or planning thebridesmaids' dresses for Molly and Sue. These dresses were floweredFrench organdies. Molly's was covered with a feathery blue flower, thatnever was on land or sea, but it was the right color, which was theimportant thing; and Sue's bore the same design in pink. The bride'sdress, a lovely simple gown of the finest Paris muslin, was all done andpressed and neatly folded in a box by the careful Miss Lizzie, with oneof her own sandy hairs secretly sewed in the hem, which is supposed tobring good luck, and a "soon husband" to the owner of the hair.
There was some doubt and much talk about how the bridal party was toenter the parlor and where the minister was to stand. The parlor atChatsworth was not very suitable for an effective wedding, as it was inthe wing of the house and opened only into the hall, giving, when allwas considered, not much room for the growing list of guests. Althoughit was a very large room, having only one entrance made it ratherawkward. It was only a few days before the wedding and this importantsubject was still under discussion.
"I can count at least ninety-eight persons who are sure to come," saidMrs. Brown, "all of them kin or close friends, and how they are to getin this room and leave an aisle for the wedding party, goodness onlyknows; and if the hall and porch are full, it will be veryuncomfortable."
Judy and Kent were pretending to be the bride and groom, grave Sue wasthe minister, John and Paul, flower girls, and Molly, boss. Mildred andCrittenden were not allowed to practice for their own wedding, as MissLizzie said it was bad luck, and Miss Lizzie was authority on all suchsubjects. So the two most interested were seated at the piano,pretending to be the musicians doing "Chopsticks" to wedding march time.
"Crit, I believe you will have to give Milly up. There is no way to havea decently stylish wedding in this joint," said Paul. "Let's stop thefestive preparations and all of us go to Jeffersonville. It would make agrand story for my paper."
Judy had been very quiet for some minutes and her face wore what Mollycalled her "flashed upon that inward eye" expression. Suddenly shecried, "I have it. Come on and let's get married out of doors." Sheseized Kent by the hand and dragged him out on the lawn, the restfollowing in a daze.
"Look at that natural place to be married in: the guests under thetrees; room for everybody; a living altar of shrubs and flowers at theend of the tan-bark walk; minister entering from the grass walk on oneside and Mr. Rutledge with his best man from the other; down the stepsMildred on Ernest's arm, followed by Molly and Sue. Can't you see themcoming up the tan-bark walk? Just at sunset, the people in their lightfestive clothes, your mother beautiful in her black crepe de Chine, withPaul and John and Kent standing by her making a dark note near thebride? Oh, why, oh, why did they not have holly-hocks up this gardenwalk instead of by the chicken yard fence? It would have made the colorscheme simply perfect."
Judy paused for breath. She had carried the crowd by her eloquence, andso perfectly had she visualized the whole thing that each one was ableto see what she meant, and absolute and unanimous approval was given thescheme. Kent, with his artistic eye, was in for it heart and soul, andbegan to plan Japanese lanterns to be lit after the ceremony in therustic summer-house beyond, where supper was to be served, observingthat their color might somewhat take the place of the holly-hocks thatwere in the wrong place.
"Just where did you want the holly-hocks, Miss Judy? We might do betteranother year if we knew just what your orders were."
"On both sides of the tan-bark walk, just beyond the intersection of thegrass walk. Can't you see how fine and stately they would look, and whata wonderful mass of color?"
"Right, as usual. What an architect you would make! That power of'seein' things' is what an architect needs above everything. Any one canlearn to make it, but it is the one who sees it who is the great man orwoman, as in the present case."
Things had been humming so since Molly's return that she had had no timefor the confidential talk with her mother that both were hungering for.The Browns always had much company, but at this season there seemed tobe no end to the comings and goings of guests, principally comings: manyparting calls being paid to Mildred by old and young; Molly's friendshastening to greet her after the eight months' absence at college; asteady following of young men calling on Sue, in spite of her suspectedpreference for Cyrus Clay, the nephew of Aunt Sarah Clay's deceasedhusband, and the one Aunt Mary objected to because of his living up sucha muddy lane. Presents were pouring in for the bride; notes had to beanswered; trains to be met; express packages to be fetched from thestation; and poor little Mrs. Woodsmall kept in a state of constantmisery over the Parcel Post business Bud was doing, and she with "nevera chanst to take so much as a peep."
Molly, ever mindful of others, hitched up President one off day anddrove over to the postoffice and got the poor thing. Then she let hersee every single present; and feel the weight of every bit of silver;and hunt for the price mark on the bottom of the cut-glass; read all thecards; and even go into the sewing-room where Miss Lizzie Monday proudlyshowed her the clothes, and let her take a good look at the weddingdress all folded up in its box. But when Mrs. Woodsmall began to pick atthe hem where her sharp eyes discovered an end of the stiff sandy hair,sewed in to bring a "soon husband," Miss Lizzie snapped on the top andtold her sharply to stop rumpling up Miss Milly's dress.
The night after Judy had solved the problem of where the wedding was tobe, Molly felt that she must have her talk with her mother. Judy wastired and a little distrait, visualizing again no doubt; seeing thewedding in her mind's eye; regretting the holly-hocks; wondering if shereally did have the power that Kent attributed to her, that of acreative artist. If she did have it, what should she do about it? Was itnot up to her to make something of herself if she had such a gift? Wassh
e willing to work, as work she would have to, if she really expectedto do something? At the back of it all was the thought, "Would Kent likeher so much if she should turn out to be a woman with a purpose?" Judywas obliged to confess to herself as she dozed off that what Kent Brownthought of her made a good deal of difference to her, more than she hadthought that any man's opinion could make.
Molly waited until she thought Judy was asleep and then crept softlydownstairs to her mother's room. Mrs. Brown was awake and glad indeed tosee her "old red head," as she sometimes lovingly called Molly, comingto have a good talk. It is funny what a difference it makes who callsone a red head. Now that horrid girl at college, Adele Windsor, hadenraged Molly into forgetting what Aunt Mary called her "raisin'" bycalling her a red head, and yet when mother called her the same thing itsounded like sweet music in her ears.
Mother had some things to tell Molly, too. She did not altogetherapprove of John's inamorata, the girl visiting Aunt Clay. It was a caseof Dr. Fell with her.
"I do not love thee, Dr. Fell. The reason why I cannot tell; But this I know, and know full well, I do not love thee, Dr. Fell."
Then she did think if Sue intended to marry Cyrus Clay she should notlead on the other two young men, who seemed quite serious in theirattentions. She hated to say anything, because Sue was so dignified.
"Now if it were you or Mildred, I would speak out, but you know Suealways did scare me a little, Molly."
And Molly and her mother giggled like school girls over this confession.Sue was very handsome and lovely and good, but she was certainly alittle superior, and Mrs. Brown found that, if she had any talking overof things to do, she wanted either Molly or Mildred, who were "not toopure or good for human nature's daily food."
Molly was eager to know what her mother thought of Judy, and wasdelighted at her frank liking for her friend. Then Molly had to tell hermother of her hopes and ambitions; of her triumphs and disappointmentsat college; and of her growing friendship for Jimmy Lufton, the cleveryoung journalist from New York who was trying to persuade Molly to gointo newspaper work; of his liking for her that she did not want toripen into anything more serious, but his last letters were certainlygrowing more and more fervent.
"Don't flirt, little girl, don't flirt. It would not be my Molly if shedeceived any one. Have all the fun you can and as many friends aspossible and enjoy life while you are young. You are sure to be popularwith every one, men and women, boys and girls, but don't be a coquette."
"Mother, I don't mean to be ever, and really and truly I have donenothing to mislead Mr. Lufton, and maybe I am mistaken and conceitedabout his feeling for me, and I truly hope I am. I have never doneanything but be my natural self with him."
Mrs. Brown smiled, well knowing that just being her natural self waswhere Molly did the damage, if damage had been done.
"Mother, there is something else." Mrs. Brown knew there was, and waspatiently waiting. "You know Professor Green? Well, I gave him yourinvitation to come to Kentucky."
"And what did he say?"
"He said, 'Thank you.'"
"Is he coming?"
"I don't know." Molly found talking to her mother about Professor Greenmore difficult than she had imagined it would be. "When you wrote me twoyears ago that some eccentric person had bought the orchard and I couldfinish my college course, I told Professor Green about it, and also toldhim I should like to meet the old man who had saved me from prematureschool-teaching. And when he asked me what I'd do if I should happen tomeet him, I told him I would give him a good hug." Molly faltered."Well, mother, when I told him good-by and gave him your invitation, Iwent back and--I just gave him a good hug."
Mrs. Brown sat up so vigorously that Molly, sitting by her side, wasalmost jolted off the bed.
"Why, Molly Brown! And what did Professor Green do?"
"He? Oh, he took it very philosophically and bowed his head 'til thestorm was over."
Mrs. Brown gave a gasp of relief.
"He must be a good old gentleman, indeed. About how old is he, Molly?"
"The girls say every day of thirty-two."
"Why, the poor old thing! Do you think he could take the trip out hereto Kentucky all by himself?"
"Mother, please don't tease. There is something else. Jimmy Lufton wrotea little note which I found in the bottom of the basket of fruit he hadput on the train for us. It was wrapped around a lemon and said, 'Hereis a lemon you can hand me if, when I come to Kentucky this summer, youdon't want me to stay.'"
"Oh! The plot thickens! So he is coming, too."
"Yes, but he lives in Lexington, and is coming out to see his family,anyhow."
"Well, Molly, darling, you must go to bed now, but before you go tell meone thing: do you want Professor Green to come to Chatsworth?"
"Yes, mother, I think I do," and giving her mother a hug that made thatlady gasp again and say, "Molly, what a hugger you are," she flew fromthe room and raced upstairs two steps at a time.